Original Hood County Express report from Sunday, October 25, 2026. Weather, road conditions, election deadlines, and other time-sensitive information reflect the publication date.
Tonight’s five
DOJ suit over Alaska race • Machado returns home • 12 hurt near FAMU stadium • Four Corners flood threat • Measles cases more than double all of 2025.
Blanche defends DOJ suit over Alaska Senate race
Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that the Justice Department wants to “put guardrails in place” with its lawsuit over Alaska’s Senate election, CBS News reported.
The Justice Department filed the lawsuit last week to challenge certification of the race ahead of time if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. He faces Democrat Mary Peltola.
At issue is possible voter confusion over a second Dan Sullivan on the Nov. 3 ballot, a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, NPR reported. Alaska’s Supreme Court affirmed he could appear on the ballot.
Blanche said the lawsuit is “not saying, ‘don’t certify.’” Some Democrats argue it is an attempt to interfere in the democratic process.
Machado returns to Venezuela after 10 months abroad
Opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela after ten months abroad, announcing her arrival in a social media post, NPR reported.
She made her first public appearance among worshippers at the Church of Santa Rosa in Lara state, then traveled to Caracas, where hundreds of supporters swarmed her car.
Her return poses a challenge to interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over after U.S. forces captured former leader Nicolás Maduro in January.
The Trump administration has repeatedly sidelined Machado, NPR reported. Her team confirmed her return to CBS News on Sunday.
12 hurt in shooting near FAMU stadium
At least 12 people, including six children, were injured in a shooting Saturday near a football stadium in Tallahassee on homecoming weekend for Florida A&M University, CBS News and the AP reported.
Tallahassee police said Sunday that six victims remained hospitalized and five had been discharged. One was being treated for critical injuries.
Police said a fight broke out before the shooting. No arrests have been made, and police are asking people to submit information.
Four Corners braces for more flooding
A rain-soaked swath of the Southwest braced Sunday for another round of potentially heavy showers and thunderstorms after days of rain forced evacuations and water rescues, CBS News reported.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of the Four Corners region.
In Colorado, the San Juan River Bridge remained closed Sunday. A New Mexico official in San Juan County said he was not aware of any loss of life.
U.S. measles cases more than double all of 2025
There have been more than 4,580 measles cases in the U.S. this year as of Oct. 22, more than double the total for all of 2025, according to CDC data reported by NPR.
The vaccination status of 96% of people who got measles in 2026 was “unvaccinated or unknown.”
In Pennsylvania, at least 1,338 cases have been confirmed in 44 counties this year. More than 250 people have been hospitalized and five have died, NPR reported.
The MMR vaccine is nearly 97% effective against measles, according to the CDC.
Washington watch — Monday, October 26
Mary Peltola’s campaign events are being rescheduled after a car accident, CBS News reports.
November 3 is Election Day, including Alaska’s Senate race between Sen. Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola.
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